Continuing with the previous Elementary episode’s concerns of challenging Sherlock and Joan’s methods of catching bad guys, “Tremors” raises the philosophical and emotional stakes much higher by having Detective Bell get caught in the crossfire.
It’s amazing to see just how vibrant Survivor feels this season, and the thrills are about more than picking rocks.
We begin the 10th leg in Bandung, Indonesia, where the Afghanimals depart first to King Cobra House and eat snake, sadly, alone, as their race wives were ejected last week. Come to think of it, all the weaker teams are now gone, and we might have an exciting episode with some heavy-hitters duking it out for once.
One of the thrills of Survivor: Blood vs. Water has been watching everyone take a shot and really try to win the game.
Abu Dhabi is the start of 9th leg, but soon everyone must fly from the land where political correctness has been king, to Bandung, Indonesia, where racers can ask “Are the people there Chinese or Indian?” and it can make it to air. On the way to the airport, Mr. and Mrs. Dr. surprise no one by ramping their self-righteous attitudes up a notch from last episode, saying they aim to be beacon for God’s light in the race, unlike those filthy, lying Afghanimals.
When Jeff Probst and the Survivor producers created the Blood vs. Water concept, they prayed for a moment like tonight’s vote. Ciera writes down her mom’s name to secure her place, but it isn’t even necessary for the 7-1 outcome. The heart of the episode is the ongoing conversation between Laura and Ciera about their future. While the music swells in the background, their confessionals show the value of having family members together in the game.
Abu Dhabi’s Formula 1 race track is the sleek beginning of this hit-and-miss 8th leg. Afghanimals leave first, and must use the satchel of coins they picked up earlier to unlock a car and get going. Not much of a code, though, since most teams came prepared with their numbers already—except the Ice Girls, who have a typical ditz moment holding up the coins to the lock like a sensor. Also typical, Tim asks his ex to promise not to yell at him if he drives, to which she yells at him to promise not to drive slow. Oy, just screw already.
Elementary, Season 2: Episode 8 – “Blood is Thicker” Written by Bob Goodman Directed by John Polson Airs Thursday nights at 10 on CBS While cable television generally houses the majority of great drama series at any given time, network offerings like Elementary and Arrow have been quietly stringing together sophomore seasons that have been as much …
Considering the tremendous amount of footage that’s shot on each day of Survivor, it’s remarkable that the stories flow so smoothly. The combination of camp life, challenges, and Tribal Council works swiftly to keep the audience engaged throughout the hour. When the producers choose to cram two eliminations into one episode, it cranks up the pace to a ridiculous level. The story becomes a frenetic ride through challenge/Tribal Council/challenge/Tribal Council, with a bit of strategy thrown in the middle. The downside is the lack of much context to the votes and alliances set in place for the future. On the other hand, it avoids the drag of predictable exits. Vytas and Tina are the obvious choices to go next, and the cracks are just a set up for the battles to come. They join Aras at Redemption Island for an epic battle that will remove either a former winner or one of the season’s most intriguing players.
Elementary, Season 2: Episode 6 – “The Marchioness” Written by Christopher Hollier and Craig Sweeny Directed by Sanaa Hamri Airs Thursday nights at 10 on CBS “The Marchioness” begins with a fantastic shot, directed by Sanaa Hamri, that creeps up in front of Sherlock as he is discussing what life would have been like at …
In one of the most telegraphed blindsides in Survivor history, this week’s vote flips the game on its head and pushes the once-confident leaders to the brink. Rarely have the editors spent this much time setting up a pivotal blindside. Unlike nervous players like Monica and Laura Morett, Aras doesn’t have a past failure to make him worry. He’s confident that the game will work out and doesn’t recognize the danger of standing in front. The key mistake is trusting that Gervase and Tyson will let the couples run the show. And that’s hardly the only miscalculation. Tina makes a ridiculous gaffe and tells Monica she’s fifth on the totem pole. The amazing part is that she sells it like a benefit. It takes some convincing from Tyson, but Tina’s comment sends Monica scurrying for the exits from a sinking ship. This foolish reveal from such a normally wise player shows that complacency can ruin anyone in this game.
We are in Poland, on the longest pier in Europe, where Tim and Marie depart first off the edge. Well, in my fantasies. In reality, they are instructed to take the train to Vienna, Austria, and find the Vienna Opera House, where a creepy “Rigoletto” will lead them to the costume department and their next clue. Jason and Amy depart second, and Amy starts off the episode delighted that she’s going “where The Sound of Music is!” We get a random cut-away of Tim from Team Oklahoma’s butt-crack, and with that the “opening” is complete.
Elementary, Season 2: Episode 6 – “An Unnatural Arrangement” Written by Cathryn Humphris Directed by Christine Moore Airs Thursday nights at 10 on CBS Despite the fact that there are four regular cast members included in Elementary‘s title credits, it would be a stretch to say that Gregson and Bell are anything more than supporting characters …
Survivor Review, Season 27, Episode 7 “Swoop in for the Kill” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Survivor: Blood vs. Water has been filled with personal stories and conflicts that have made it one of the most consistent seasons of recent years. Even an arrogant goofball like Brad Culpepper offered plenty of entertainment with …
We begin with the reveal of an amazing Amazing Race Fake-Out! Last week it looked like Nicole and Travis were laughing maniacally while leaving the Exes in a literally clue-less lurch—but alas, no such luck. With the urging of Tim, the Express Pass the Exes have been clutching on to since the very first episode is finally—FINALLY—passed on to the Married Physicians in exchange for Pit Stop information.
Elementary, Season 2: Episode 5 – “Ancient History” Written by Jason Tracey Directed by Sanaa Hamri Airs Thursday nights at 10 on CBS “Ancient History” is what one might call a “weak” episode of Elementary. It’s sort of an anomaly and it’s something you wouldn’t quite pick up on unless you thought about it, because the …
In the pre-merge game of Survivor, it’s easy to think too far ahead and step into the muck. During her first appearance in One World, Kat believed in her alliance and felt betrayed when they kicked her out. She was a fun character who talked constantly and didn’t really understand the game. Kat’s goofy personality drew a return invitation, and she has spent this season under the radar. Of course, this week reminds us that changing your limited game isn’t so easy.
The Amazing Race, Season 23, Episode 3: “King Arthur Style” Aired Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS From winning last leg, Chester and Ephraim depart first from Chile, and find out they have to go to Portugal. This is a challenge for them, though, because usually they have “people” to book everything and line it …
Part of the virtue of Elementary’s 24-episode season structure is that there is no pressure to dump on character development every week. Like a sitcom that tacks on its short, sweet heartwarming moments late in the third act, Elementary shifts its narrative camera from the weekly crime plot to remind us that Holmes and Watson are real people dealing with personal conflict. Occasionally, that conflict will take center stage, but more often than not – and in the case of “Poison Pen” – it is painted in light strokes on the episode’s much larger canvas.
Survivor Review, Season 27, Episode 5 “The Dead Can Still Talk” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Considering all the twists in Survivor: Blood vs. Water, the old-school vibe has been a refreshing surprise. The family connections are forcing the editors to show the personalities of more than just a few star players. Laura Morett …
Survivor Review, Season 27, Episode 4 “One Armed Dude and Three Moms” Airs Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on CBS Brilliant. In a season filled with twists, it’s the simple moves that can change the game. After watching his fiancé quit last week, Caleb steps out of the shadows and executes a stunning move at Tribal Council. …
When Person of Interest first started, it had a simple cast of Reese and Finch (Jim Caviziel and Michael Emerson, respectively) being hunted every week by Taraji P. Henson that has now transformed to a full roster of characters (assets)-many of them women- that the show has its disposal. “Lady Killer” drives this point home time and time again when Reese and Finch receive a number from a regular Casanova, a real “lady killer”(get it, guys?) who they suspect might be a stalker/serial killer. To find out for themselves, they bait the waters with Carter, Shaw (Sarah Shahi), and political fixer Zoe Morgan (Paige Turco). While Reese and Finch are focused on the new number, Root(Amy Acker) is continuing her crazy-person-athon at the mental institution she’s attempting to escape from while not being discovered by government types.
The Amazing Race, Season 23, Episode 2: “Zip It, Bingo” Aired Sundays at 8pm (ET) on CBS We pick back up in Iquique, Chile, where Exes Tim and Marie preen in their victory from the last leg and talk about their two express passes, which they plan to hold on to as long as humanly …